Cathaleen Chen

The dream of creating an American answer to LVMH and Kering faced a major setback this week after a federal judge championed the Federal Trade Commission’s narrow definition of the sub-luxury handbag market.

To survive and even thrive, the ailing retail format doesn’t have to reinvent itself, according to Olivier Bron. Bringing his international experience to parent company Macy’s Inc., the new chief executive wants to give customers a more exciting experience and be a better partner to brand vendors.

Response to the lingerie giant’s fashion show Tuesday night has been mostly positive, but its new CEO Hillary Super has her work cut out in order to steer the company toward growth again.

Rising rents and low vacancy rates have made it prohibitively expensive for many emerging brands to open retail locations — even temporary ones. Scrappy companies have found creative, low-cost ways to reach their consumers, from hotel partnerships and trunk shows to activations on college campuses.

Gap Inc. has been trying to turn things around for two decades. Now, seven months into designer and BoF 500 member Zac Posen’s tenure as creative lead, there’s early evidence that his efforts to re-energise the company’s flagship brand are delivering results.

BoF Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and Retail Editor Cathleen Chen discuss the ongoing struggle of American department stores to remain relevant and what lessons they might learn from their European counterparts.

Big names, extravagant productions, a Google-sponsored shuttle bus and an overall sense of high energy all helped breathe new life into the shows this season.

America’s largest retailer hosted a pop-up shop in New York City over the weekend, touting its affiliation with designer Brandon Maxwell and announcing its fashion ambitions after recent seasons of promising sales in apparel.